His Obsession

30- He Fell

As the car pulled up to the hotel, I slid out and stood there on the sidewalk. I wanted to go straight to bed after that run-in with Julian, but the thoughts running through my head were preventing me from having any peace at all. I glanced up at Lorenzo's handsome face. I knew I had fallen for him. But I needed to know if he truly felt the same way about me. I believed that he was doing all of this because of Julian and he saw me as a girl in need of rescue. But I am not one of those small petty girls who need a man to swoop in and save me. I can take care of myself. "Are you ready to head up?" he asks as he stands up, tipping the driver for his service and telling him to have a great night.

I turn and face him, "Yes, but I really need to ask you something. I'm sorry but something isn't sitting right with me." I looked up into his face. I didn't want to ask him this question, but I couldn't do this if it was all to save me. "Are you really sure about marrying me, or is this some strategic move to make sure that I don't go anywhere?"

I watched as he took a deep breath in. I saw the look on his face as I realized suddenly that my suspicion was indeed correct. "Hey don't get me wrong here Azlynn, I want to give it a try here. You are the only girl that I want to try things with and it's not just because I don't want him to get to you, but because you are the only one who has made me feel anything at all," he says grabbing my arm, but I pull away from him. He didn't love me back. I didn't care what he was saying. He didn't tell me that he loved me. I knew it was wrong for me to expect him to be in love with me. After all, I did read up on him and what he does. I took off running for the door. I didn't want to look at him. I was so mad at him.

I marched into the penthouse prepared to head straight for my room until I ran into something or someone. I almost slipped on some sticky red substance that covered the floor. I looked up to see what it was that I had run into and regretted it right away as I was staring into Nick's lifeless eyes. The expression that was stuck on his face was one of fear as his eyes were huge with shock. There was a 1/2-inch-sized hole in the middle of his forehead that looked as if it came from a bullet, and he had several other injuries to his body. He was hanging by a rope from the ceiling. I knew that it was all staged this way on purpose... it was as if the person who did this wanted him to be found fast.

I began to scream as I felt someone grab me. This pulled me back into hischest. I thrashed out afraid that whoever had done this to Nick was trying to do something I stopped when I heard him whisper into my ear, "Shh... it's ok my love, it's just me." I relaxed a little bit, turning my face into his chest for the thousandth time tonight. I was so upset about seeing Nick that way. Everything made me wonder why? Why would someone kill him and leave his body where it could be found? I was too upset to notice that Lorenzo had bent down and taken a piece of paper from his pocket, pocketing it himself. "Hey, I need to call the police Azlynn," he said softly as if he was trying to get me to stay calm. I glanced up at his face, tears streaming down my own as I was unable to stop them. I couldn't help it. I had never seen death before and Lorenzo seemed so calm in the face of it.

I watched silently as he pulled out his cell, keeping an arm around me as he punched in the numbers and then placed the phone to his ear. I heard him relay the information to the officer on the line and he even stayed on the phone until the first police officer walked into the penthouse. Hearing a throat clearing, we turned around and I looked up to see a handsome man dressed in regular clothes standing there. I could see other police officers hard at work on the scene behind him. "Hello, I am detective Payne," he says offering his hand out for a shake and I smile at him the only way I could.

I watched silently as Lorenzo just stood there eyeing him up and down. "I am Lorenzo Albertini and I own the place," he growled through clenched teeth. I could tell that he didn't much care for this guy and I wondered if they knew each other. "And this beautiful girl is my fiancee, Ms. Azlynn Harper."